Rapid Design and Testing of Novel Gas-Liquid Contacting Devices for Post-Combustion CO2 Capture via 3-D Printing

To dramatically reduce CO2 emissions from coal-fired power plants, and mitigate their impact on global climate change, DOE has called for technologies that can capture at least 90% of CO2 emissions from an existing coal-fired power plant with no more than a 35% increase in the cost of electricity. One process design approach with the potential to achieve these goals is through the use of advanced gas-liquid contacting devices which enable more efficient capture of CO2 with reduced process footprints. However, more cost-effective construction methods and rapid prototyping are needed to deploy these technologies and meet DOE goals. 3-D printing is an additive fabrication technique which can offer unprecedented advantages in accelerating the design cycles of gas-liquid contacting devices, minimize manufacturing costs, and expedite deployment timeline for CO2 capture in the field. Functional prototypes can be designed, fabricated, and tested within a frame of 24 hours. Because the design process is entirely software-based, devices can be parametrically varied so that effects of surface area, pressure drop, porosity, etc. can be easily understood and used to develop improved devices. The rapid and flexible feedback loop between design, fabrication and testing that can only be provided through 3-D printing will more quickly advance the performance and lower the costs of novel gas-liquid contacting devices for CO2 capture. Phase I work successfully established methods for printing, optimization, and testing of novel-gas liquid contacting devices. An economic analysis was completed to demonstrate the long-term benefits and commercial viability of scaling this approach to CO2 capture process design. Phase II work focuses on further optimization based on computational fluid dynamics to increase the efficiency of novel-gas liquid contacting devices and provide a cost effective solution for commercial applications. A dual function mass and heat transfer packing media will be developed to incorporate heat transfer. These advanced, low-cost gas-liquid contacting devices will provide highly efficient removal of CO2 (and other contaminants) from flue gas and natural gas, enabling the economical production of clean energy using conventional fuels while minimizing additional costs to the public. Additional applications of devices produced via 3-D printing will extend to many operations such as reactors and heat exchangers.